Garlic Bread You Need To Eat With A Knife And Fork

Ever had garlic bread so good that you had to eat it with a knife and fork? You've found your recipe here!

This adaptation came from Alice Fazooli's, a restaurant that served it and called it Crab Shack bread.

Unless you've baked your own fresh bread, buy a round loaf of French, Portuguese or Italian bread. Take a cast iron frying pan or cast iron deep dish pizza pan and place the bread in the middle.

Slit an X in the middle and stuff all areas of that slit with pats of real butter, with minced garlic and then sprinkle the top of the bread with fresh Parmesan and Romano cheese. Bake it on a low broil until bubbly.

Garlic Warning:

Eat this ooey gooey good garlic bread along with someone you love so they're not repulsed by your breath afterwards as you'll feel like you're able to kill small animals from a ten foot distance with just your breath.

Cooking a Ham? Glazes and Leftover Ham Ideas

A ham is a beautiful thing. Cooking a ham doesn't take a lot of work as they're typically smoked so heat and serve. Here are a few options for ways to bake your ham so it turns out juicy with a nice glaze.

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Cover your ham with a mixture of: 1 cup brown sugar, 1-2 table spoons of vinegar, 1 table spoon of dry mustard. Bake at low heat in a covered roasting pan according to pkg directions. 2-3 hours at 300 is usually a safe bet being sure it doesn't dry out. I often make a second batch of the glaze to pour in as it's cooking.

Cherry & Pineapple glaze
Cover your ham with cherries and pineapples 9either place them on top or use tooth picks to hold in place) and add some brewed black tea to cover the bottom of the pot as well as a bit of juice from the can/jar of fruit. Remove the fruit when the ham is cooked and most probably won't want to eat it but the flavour that seeps through the meat and the juice left in the bottom makes it delicious!

What to do with leftover ham

If you have the chance to buy a big one, it's a great idea. There are plenty of things you can do with leftover ham.

Leftover ham can go in the freezer or other uses or use right away. Here are some tips:
-Toasted Western Omelette
-Eggs and Ham
-Ham and Scalloped Potato Bake
-Pea Soup With Ham
-Quiche

My Famous Ooey Gooey Good French Onion Soup

French onion soup is a beautiful thing. We always throw some extra cheeze around the rim of the bowl so it gets crunchy and yummy. Whichever bowl comes out of the oven with the most crusty cheese on it is the most coveted bowl!

French Onion Soup to Serve Four

__________
3 onions, peeled and chopped. (Burn a tealight by your chopping board to reduce onion induced tears and burning)
4 cups brewed tea
2-3 envelopes so beef Bovril or a big glug from the liquid bottle.
1 huge dollop of butter

Boil the onion soup on high until the onions are transparent.

Pour the soup into bowls that are set on a large cookie sheet.
Place lightly toasted french bread on top of each bowl. Apply very liberally with shredded mozzarella. Sometimes I even make the bread into garlic bread first and sometimes I use a combination of cheeses.

Pop French Onion Soup into the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and ooey gooey good.

Bon Apetitit!

How To Copy Famous Recipes

Many great cooks want to not only create their own culinary masterpieces, some of us want to copy some greats that we've already tasted. Whether you want to imitate a famous restaurant recipe or copy something you tasted somewhere by cracking the recipe there are some great ways to experiment and come up with close facsimiles. For instance, I think I have Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits pretty well down pat. I can almost completely replicate the flavour and texture of McDonald's Hash Browns although I do eat healthier now than when I made the discovery so I don't typically boast about that one.

How do you create a replica of a great famous recipe?

My mother-in-law can copy almost anything she sees or tastes by strange freakish talent. I'm getting the knack for it with some of my cooking. Not everyone can manage that. There are some great websites that can help you copy recipes. When I first got online, I had a computer program filled with famous recipes like KFC chicken, several famous chocolate bars, pre-made baked goods and plenty of spices and treats that were deemed top secret recipes. Now, this stuff is easy to find online. Here are two great resources. Top Secret Recipes and Copy Cat Recipes. These websites can be helpful and you will be surprised at some of the recipes you'll find!

How do you create your own famous recipe?

When you find a gem, save it for very special occasions so that people crave it. The fastest way to ruin a recipe is to make it for every event. Instead, make them beg you to make it! Don't tell a soul your secret recipe! If you write your recipes down or teach them to someone, swear them to secrecy and don't post it on the Internet whatever you do. Last weekend I commented to my husband that I had posted a family recipe here and he me the dirtiest look you might imagine. oops. A good recipe should be shared, shouldn't it?

Volcano Bread: My Spinach Dip & Pumpernickel Bread Famous Recipe

I love this recipe. Some call it volcano bread and others call it Spinach Dip or Pumpernickel dip but whatever it's called, it's scrumptious. It's a must-have for Christmas time, any pot lucks and for baby showers and bridal shower fare. Here's how I do mine:

2 cups sour cream
1/2 brick cream cheese (cubed)
1 envelope Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
1 package thawed frozen chopped spinach (squeeze excess water out)
3 chopped green onions (optional)
can chopped/drained water chestnuts (optional)
1/2 cup real mayo
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
Round Pumpernickel loaf

Mix all ingredients and let blend for an hour before eating in a bowl. Place all into hollowed out pumpernickel loaf. Use hollowed out section in cubes to surround the loaf for dipping. When it runs out, start tearing the loaf apart to dip. You can also put bread sticks and crackers such as Triscuits around the loaf as well. Yum!